


Holding Its Breath

by Wallwalker



Category: Final Fantasy IX
Genre: Community: fic_on_demand, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-23
Updated: 2010-01-23
Packaged: 2017-10-06 15:27:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wallwalker/pseuds/Wallwalker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alexandria was putting on one hell of a fireworks show that night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Holding Its Breath

Alexandria was putting on one hell of a show that night, Amarant thought as another rocket flew up into the sky. They were serving the best ale he'd ever tasted - he hadn't had much, just maybe a mug or two, nothing he even felt. They were playing music in the streets, and to top it all off they were having the best fireworks display he'd ever seen. Now that was a real party. It even made up for having to sit through the big formal wedding in the castle's chapel in some kind of long robe - it was the only formal outfit they could find that had fit him.

So the Queen had tied the knot with that crazy thief. Well, he couldn't say he was surprised; he'd been there for the big play when Zidane had decided to show up, and frankly they'd all been expecting it a lot sooner. Zidane had been back for, what, two months now?

The play had been quite a night too, although not as wild as this. He hadn't had an invitation for they play, he recalled, but he'd figured it didn't matter, they'd just have to deal with it. He'd been bemused, but not surprised, when he'd learned that his name had already been added to the list of confirmed guests, despite the fact that he hadn't had any contact with anyone in Alexandria for months.

They'd done the same thing for the wedding, in fact. It felt almost like they really wanted him there.

"You're gawking like you've never seen fireworks before, Amarant."

He turned around to see Freya had somehow snuck up behind him - how the _hell_ could she sneak anywhere with those claws? Seemed like they'd make too much noise for that. Maybe he'd been too distracted by the fireworks. "Not like these," he said brusquely, turning back to the show. "Nobles in Treno play with 'em sometimes, but they're just toys compared to this."

"Quite a show, isn't it?" She stood beside him for a while, and he just knew she was looking at them too. "Of course this isn't the sort of thing I usually see back home."

"So you've never seen 'em?"

"Actually, I have," she demurred, "once or twice while I was traveling. I suppose I never paid much attention, though. I always had other things on my mind."

And now she didn't. Amarant would've been happier for her if he hadn't been very aware of what that meant. Still, he figured he didn't have to say anything; if there was one thing he knew that Freya hated, it was insincerity. "Seems like they're pullin' out all the stops this time, doesn't it?" he said instead. "I mean, all the good booze, big fireworks, dancin' in the streets all night..."

"Why not? Their Queen was married today. Occasions like this don't come along often."

"Yeah." He had to admit that was true, especially when he'd watched the new husband run to what they'd all figured was certain death... and all for the sake of some guy who'd almost gotten everything destroyed, to boot. If there was such a thing as Karma, Zidane had the best kind there was - all that time he'd spent helpin' people must've paid off. Hell, if the payoff for bein' a sentimental do-gooder was that good, Amarant figured he might just give it a try, if he ever got desperate enough. Not that he was anywhere close, but still, it was almost worth thinkin' about.

"Do you know what I think about all of this?" Freya said, just loud enough to be heard over the crowd and the fireworks.

There weren't many people whose opinions he cared about, but he figured Freya deserved to be one of 'em. "No, what?"

"I think the whole city's been holding its breath ever since Garnet came back." She paused for a moment as a particularly impressive blast filled the sky with golden light. "I think that this is probably the first time in years that it's felt like itself again."

Amarant just nodded as another firework went off, red and sparkling and loud like thunder. For the moment, at least, he knew just how that city must've felt up until that night.


End file.
